During a Facebook Live video where FCA Head of Design Ralph Gilles and FCA Head of Performance, Passenger & Utility Exterior Design Mark Trostle discussed their jobs, they let slip that the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee was debuting this year. Gilles brought it up when discussing his favorite designs (around 15:00 into the video below) and mentioned the Grand Cherokee. Muscle Cars and Trucks first noticed this slip of the tongue.
"It has survived so beautifully. It’s getting on now, and we’re about to replace it later this year. We're going to show the new one," Gilles said about the next-gen Grand Cherokee.
There are already some spy shots of the next-gen Grand Cherokee (below), which we believe would go on sale for the 2021 model year. The photos suggest that the popular SUV grows noticeably larger than the existing one. The camouflage makes the styling difficult to see, but the general silhouette of the vehicle in these pictures doesn't indicate that there's a radically different look.
Gallery: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Spy Photos
Mechanically, there's a rumor that the Grand Cherokee would adopt the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The powertrains could include a mild-hybrid-equipped V6 and a V8 available as an upgrade for folks looking for more power.
Here's What Has Come Out About The Next-Gen Grand Cherokee:
A leak also might provide a glimpse inside the new Grand Cherokee. The document purportedly lists some of the special touches inside the cabin, like an available 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster and infotainment display of the same size.
There's also the question of the identity of the modified Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk that's in recent spy shots. It's possible that a final, hotter version of the performance SUV could arrive before the next-gen Grand Cherokee debuts.
Source: FCA North America via Muscle Cars and Trucks